SAN DIEGO — The 8,054 fans (almost all kids) in attendance had no trouble following the big-screen directions: MAKE NOISE. CAN’T HEAR YOU. GET LOUD. LOUDER! They responded with joyful, ear-piercing enthusiasm, delighted to comply with instructions that rewarded volume and excitement.
The Aztecs (13-3, 7-0 MW) picked a great day to break an attendance record, giving the crowd plenty to cheer about in a 73-56 win over New Mexico (12-6, 4-3 MW) on Wednesday morning at Viejas Arena. While the final score showed a comfortable 17-point margin, the game itself was anything but easy, demanding resilience, trust, and a dominant fourth quarter from San Diego State.
“This community really rallies around our women’s basketball program,” head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson said. “These kids are just excited to be here. It’s loud, and it’s a great opportunity to expose our university to a bunch of young people.”
The Aztecs were tested early. New Mexico jumped out to a nine-point lead in the first quarter as SDSU struggled to find its rhythm. The Aztecs missed their first four shots and didn’t score until nearly three minutes had elapsed. But San Diego State stayed composed, leaning into ball movement and defensive discipline to chip away.
Kennedy Lee hit five threes for 15 points with nine rebounds. Derrick Tuskan / San Diego State
The turning point came in the second quarter, when SDSU flipped the script with a 12-0 run, fueled by three-point shooting and improved rebounding. The Aztecs outscored the Lobos 25-13 in the period and went into halftime up 35-29 after trailing for all of the opening quarter.
“We corrected it,” Terry-Hutson said. “I challenged them at halftime to do a better job of rebounding, and I thought we definitely did that.”
New Mexico refused to go quietly, however, making things tense late in the third. Strong on the offensive glass with 14 offensive rebounds on the day, New Mexico clawed back to tie the game at 47 with less than a minute remaining in the period.
San Diego State closed the third quarter with a momentum-swinging three by Alyssa Jackson with 14 seconds left, and then unleashed a dominant fourth quarter on both ends of the floor. The Aztecs outscored New Mexico 23-9 in the final 10 minutes, shooting a crazy 81.8 percent (9 of 11) including four of five from beyond the arc.
Alyssa Jackson tied her career best with 11 points. Derrick Tuskan / San Diego State
Overall, SDSU connected on 14 of 27 three-point attempts (51.9 percent), the most threes the team has made all season and tied for the second-most in program history. The Aztecs also protected the ball, finishing with just nine turnovers.
“If one of us gets going, all of us are going to get going,” Kennedy Lee said. “We work on the three pretty much every day, and that’s one of our highest-percentage shots.”
Lee led the way with 15 points and nine rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double. Nala Williams added 14 points, three steals, and five assists against just one turnover, while serving as a steady presence throughout the decisive fourth quarter.
Watch highlights here. Credit: SDSU Athletics
When the pressure mounted, Lee said the team leaned on each other.
“This is a team that heavily depends on each other,” she said. “We have a staff that cares about us on a personal basis as well as basketball, so you worry less about yourself and think about what the team needs. We figure it out together.”
With a record crowd, a barrage of threes, and a statement fourth quarter, the Aztecs showed both their firepower and their composure, giving thousands of young fans a loud, unforgettable introduction to San Diego State women’s basketball.
Notable
In addition to Lee’s 15 points and Williams’ 14, Alyssa Jackson and Bailey Barnhard also scored in double figures with 11 each.
Nat Martinez and Naomi Panganiban each contributed eight.
Off the bench, CJ Latta scored six while Kaelyn Hamilton had three assists and no turnovers.
“We've had the experience of having to fight back and punch again, but just to able to handle the adversity the way they did was really impressive.”
Next Up
SDSU faces UNLV Saturday at 2 p.m. in Las Vegas. UNLV is the only other undefeated team in the conference. Watch on the Mountain West Network.
